Aloha!

Greetings from the Aloha State!  We are spending our family Holiday Vacation, complete with my son-in-law, Clark.  I do resist calling him Sparky mostly!  It is hard not to relax while you are on the beach.  This the view from the deck!  However, silly me, I thought I just needed some forced down time.  As a result, I didn't bring anything to work on artwise!  How frustrating.  I don't think my granddaughter wants me cutting up her coloring books and stealing puzzle pieces.  And I have no independent transportation, so no sneaking trip to a craft/art store.  However, I don't really know where one is, as we are on the North Shore of Oahu, lots of surfers, otherwise. . .  And it is such a beautiful setting to free my muse!  If only I had brought some watercolor oil pastels, a black marker, and some water pens and a glue stick.  I could have gone to town.  Let this be a lesson, art is part of living and and food for the soul, not something one needs to relax from!!!  I am getting some reading in, tho.  

A new little book I have recently become acquainted with is "The Book of Qualities" by J. Ruth Gender.  It is really wonderful and so insightful.  In addition, her illustrations are fabulous!  Here is a passage that speaks to me.

"Patience

Patience wears my grandmother's filigree earrings.  She bakes marvelous dark bread.  She has beautiful hands.  She carries great sacks of peace and purses filled with small treasures.  You don't notice Patience right away in a crowd, but suddenly you see her all at once, and then she is so beautiful you wonder why you never saw her before."